1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a collapsible beverage holder or jacket which is formed from paperboard and a layer of insulation for holding a beverage container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Beverage holders are commonly formed as a cylindrical sleeve constructed from a layer of insulative foam material into which a beverage container, such as an aluminum soda can, can be inserted. Beverage holders of this type typically will have a bottom to prevent the beverage container from slipping from the cylindrical sleeve. The beverage holders which are constructed solely of insulative foam must be relatively thick in order for the beverage holder to be durable and sufficiently rigid for repeated use. Because most beverage holders assume a permanent cylindrical shape when not in use, the beverage holders utilize a large amount of storage space. This can be a problem especially when a large quantity of beverage holders must be stored or transported and there is a limited amount of space.
The outer surface of these beverage holders will often be printed with words or images. The insulative foam material which the beverage holder is constructed from can be difficult to print on and may require the use of special coatings or processes to create the image or message. This can significantly increase the cost of manufacturing the beverage holder. Often the beverage holders are printed with advertisements or logos and used as an advertising medium. Such beverage holders are often given away as promotional gifts and therefore it is preferable to keep the cost of manufacturing the beverage holders as low as possible.
It would be advantageous to have a beverage holder that is collapsible so that it occupies very little space when not in use, is easily printed on and fairly inexpensive to manufacture.